India is planning to grant Visa-On-Arrival Facility to Chinese tourists.
China today welcomed
India's plans to grant visa-on-arrival facility to Chinese tourists, but did not commit to a reciprocal gesture for Indians visiting the country in large numbers.
"We welcome this," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters here.
Hua was responding to reports from India that an announcement in this regard will be made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his China visit in May.
"We are willing to work with the Indian side to facilitate the personal exchanges between the two countries and promote mutual understanding and mutual trust between two people and lay solid foundation for the bilateral cooperation," she said.
India plans to add China to the list of 43 countries which are granted the facility, as it is organising 'Visit India' year across China to woo more tourists, who have already neared the 100-million mark this year.
Chinese officials say that such a move would send a message that China treats India as a friendly neighbour and promotes better images of the Chinese people.
Many countries, including the US, have made a strong pitch to attract Chinese tourists, who have spent USD 102-billion worldwide last year, according to state media reports.
The visa-on-arrival (VoA) facility was expected to project India as a favoured destination, as Chinese tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka and Maldives increased significantly in recent years.
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